Inside the Rink is ready to kick off its coverage of the ECHL for the 2024-25 Season. Each week, we will highlight three matchups as our must-see games across the league. Here are our picks for this week.
Flo Hockey Game of the Week: Allen Americans (7-8-4-0) vs Indy Fuel (8-7-1-1): December 13th
After playing their first 15 games on the road, the Indy Fuel will welcome the Allen Americans to town for the third game of a four-game homestand and Eras Night (Indy Fuel’s version). Both teams will be looking to get back in the win column, as the Fuel have lost their last two games, and the Americans have lost their previous three. For the Fuel, the theme of this season has been goaltending as they lost Peyton Jones, who went overseas to Europe after having a fantastic start to the season, and Ben Gaudreau, who took over as the starter, is currently with the Rockford Ice Hogs. Joe Vrbetic and Marco Costantini will likely be the goaltender duo on Friday Night as each goaltender appeared in one game this season, and both goalies gave up just one goal in their first start of the season; for Costantini, if he gets the start, he will be facing his former team in the Allen Americans who recently traded him to the Fuel in exchange for future considerations.
The Americans are led offensively by Easton Brodzinski and Brayden Watts, who both have 21 points on the season. Allen is 27th in the league, putting up just 26.68 shots per game. However, they are 18th in the league, averaging 2.63 goals per game. It’s been a struggle for the Americans on the defensive side of the puck this season, as they are giving up over 40 shots to opponents and are dead last in the league in shots against per game. The goaltending has also struggled, as they are giving up close to four goals a game which is 28th in the league, only behind the Utah Grizzlies.
Kansas City Mavericks (14-6-1-1) vs Savannah Ghost Pirates (11-8-1-0) (Two Game Set Beginning December 14th)
The Kansas City Mavericks and Savannah Ghost Pirates will meet for a two-game set this weekend at Cable Dahmer Arena in Kansas City. Coming into the series, the Mavericks have struggled at home, going 2-3-0-1 in the first six home games, as the Ghost Pirates have struggled away from home this season, going 4-5 from Enmarket Arena. Kansas City is coming off a wild game last Sunday vs Utah, where the Mavericks would put up ten goals and extend their winning streak to four games as both goaltenders dropped the gloves at center ice for the first goalie fight of the season in the ECHL. Cade Borchardt comes into the weekend red hot after being named the ECHL Player of the Week after putting up seven goals and four assists in two games last weekend, including back-to-back hattricks. The Burnsville, Minnesota native comes into the weekend leading the league in goals (19) and points (28).
Reece Vitelli has been on an absolute tear of late for the Ghost Pirates, putting up 13 points in his last eight games and leading Savannah in assists (17) and points (21). Devon Paliani has also been on a hot streak as he has 13 points in his last ten games, including eight points in his last three games, and is starting to find his groove with the Ghost Pirates. Paliani also recorded his first career hat trick last weekend vs. Atlanta Gladiators. Dennis Cesana currently leads all defensemen in goals (7) and points (19) in his first full season in the ECHL.
Toledo Walleye (14-6-3-0) vs Iowa Heartlanders (13-5-3-0) (Friday Night)
The top two teams in the Central Division will meet on Friday Night in Iowa for the second straight game and third matchup of the season, as Iowa has won the first two games of the season series. Heartlanders goaltender William Rousseau has won four of his last five games and has picked up a shutout in two of his last three games as the Heartlanders are sixth in the league, allowing 2.55 goals per game. The 21-year-old goaltender is 5-2-2 with a 2.29 GAA, .926SV%, and two shutouts in his rookie season. Iowa currently leads the league, averaging 19 penalty minutes per game. Iowa doesn’t have any skaters with 20 points, and their leading scorers, Matthew Sop and Will Caverly, each have seven goals on the season.
The Toledo Walleye have been spreading out the offense this season. Five different players have at least ten goals on the season, and they are eighth in the league, averaging just over three and a half goals a game. Special teams have also been a big part of the Walleyes’ success this season. They are second in the league on the powerplay, converting at 27.3%, and 14th on the PK, at 82.9%, heading into the weekend. Goaltending has been solid for Toledo once again as Jan Bednar has played in 16 of the team’s first 23 games, and Carter Gylander has played in eight games this year as both goaltenders are putting up very similar numbers.
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